Removable slide guide for a slide closure

ABSTRACT

A removable slide guide for a slide closure arranged on containers for liquid melt, in particular steel ladles or intermediate containers. The slide closure includes a slide housing, an upper orifice plate and a support element carrying the slide plate and an outflow sleeve. A slide guide is provided with two mutually independent means of attachment for the purpose of arranging the slide guide on a slide housing attached to a metal jacket of the container. One of the means fixes the slide guide in its operational position on slide housing and, the other means of attachment holds the slide guide coupled to the slide housing. The first means of attachment are released in a position suitable for the replacement of parts subjected to wear in such a manner that the two means of attachment do not mutually impede each other when the slide guide is fixed in the required operational position on the slide housing.

[1 1. f 856, 8 l Dec. 24, 1974 United States Patent [191 Meier A Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Steven M. Pollard REMOVABLE SLIDE GUIDE FOR A SLIDE CLOSURE Inventor:

- [75]. Ernst Meier Adliswillzurich Attorney, Agent, or Firth-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack Switzerland 7 I [73] Assignee: Interstop AG, Zug, Switzerland [22] Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT A removable slide guide for a slide closure arranged V on containers for liquid melt, in particular steel ladles Dec. 8,1972

[. PP 313,262 or intermediate containers. The slide closure includes a slide housing, anupper orifice plate and a support element carrying the slide plate and an outflow sleeve.

A slide guide is provided with two mutually independent means of attachment for the purpose of arranging the slide guide on a slide housing attached to a metal jacket of the container. One of the means fixes the [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 10, 1971 Germany............................ 2161368 222/537, 222/561 Int. Cl..---..............-..............---.... ..gg/Q70 Slide guide in its Operational position on Slide housing 3 7 2 and, the other means of'attachment holds the slide guide coupled to the slide housing. The first means of attachment are released -ina position suitable for the replacement of parts subjected :to wear in such a man- [58] Field 0f Search 220/41 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ner that the two meansof attachment do not mutually impede each other when the slide guide is fixed in the required operational position on the slide housing.

. 3,730,401 5/l973 Bode,Jr.................. 222/512 3 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures l l/ ///1 i\ a PATENTED UEC24|974 sum 2 m 3 PATENTED 3.856.189

sum 3 UF 3 REMOVABLE SLIDE FOR A. SLIDE A CLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION flow sleeve, but also of the refractory insert in the bottom refractoryblock, which replacement is required very frequently.

The dimensionsof the containers employed for pouring liquid melts, e.g., steel ladles, have been increasing continously. Accordingly, also the slide closures to be arranged'on such containers have been produced with greater and more extensive dimensionsand, consequently, have become units of considerable weight.

However, owing to this; the required removal of the slide guide, which is very hot after pouring, and the manipulation necessarily connected with such removal have become increasingly more difficult and more time-consuming. However, a careful handling in particular of the slide guide is absolutely necessary, since one may not reduce the precision of the mutual position of the slide components nor weaken their characteristics operational circumstances, because through such a reduction and weakening not only the satisfactory operation of the slide but also the operational safety of the device would be rendered uncertain. Yet, it has been shown/that in the case where such slide guides must be dismounted after pouring for the purpose of replacing the slide plates or similar parts subjected to wear, the operators simply drop the slideguides to the floor because of their great weight and theirtemperature which is generally stil very high. This treatement is very disadvantageous for the slide guides and produces undesirable damage to the sliding surfaces and the bolt seats. Besides, the slide guides are exposed-to the dirt on the floor and to steel splashes so as to become very soiled. Later, the slide guides in such a state, which is very disadvantageous for therequired precision of operation,

are very frequently mounted again on the slide housing.

in the same manner as during disassembly, corresponding difficulties occur also in connection with re- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is provide a slide guide of a slide closure with means which make it possible to eliminate the above-mentioned difficulties to the greatest possible extent.

This object is achieved in accordance with the pres- 'ent invention in that the slide guide, for the purpose of being arranged on the slide housing attached to the assembly carried out in accordancewith known processes and employing known device s, theproblem involving both the time losses and the capability of reemployment of such container by means of known reassembly means.

Accordingly, these developments have led to a widening gap to between the necessity of removing the I slide guide and. the requirements of a rapid servicing.

and a satisfactory and safe operation that are just as compelling.

metal jacket of the container, is provided with two mutually independent means of attachment, one ofv the means fixing the slide guide inits operational position on the slide housing and the other holding the slide guide coupled to the slide housing after the first means of attachemnt are released, in a position suitable for the replacement of the parts subjected to wear, and indeed in such a manner that the two means of attachment do not mutually impede each other when the slide guide is fixed in the required operational position on the slide housing. This feature of the invention leads to a very simplified and time saving operation that, in addition to saving considerable time during servicing, also permits an increased saftey of operation of the slide closure, since it leads to a substantially improved possibility of servicing. g A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention consists in'that the second means of attachment consists of a unilateral hinge permitting the outward swinging of the slideguide, the hinge possessing such tolerance for the movement of the slide guide. in

the direction of attachment that the hinge does not exert any effect on'the position of the slide guide when attached to the slide housing. 3

An advantageous hinge structure consists in that a hinge member arranged on the slide housing is con- A different embodiment of the second means of attachment consists in the provision of flexible holding means (e.g., chains, steel cables and the like) that couple the slide guide to the slide housing and, after the first means of attachment, e.g. bolts,) are removed, permit the lowering of the slide guide to a distance below the slide housing, thus allowing the removal of the'parts subjected to wear. v A further advantageous embodiment of the second means of attachment may consist of a guide rod attached to the slide housing, provided with a lower stop and traversing a guide bore in the slide guide. After the first means of attachment are removed, the slide is lowered and swung laterally on the rod.

in order to make the refractory outflow insert accessible in a simple manner for the purpose of its replacement, after the slide guide is detached, swung off and- /or lowered, and to accelerate the assembly and disassembly, the upper orifice plate may be held in a frame provided with a lateral hinge and hinged to the slide housing. The frame can be swung laterally after the supporting element, slide plate and outflow sleeve are removed. The employment of a prefabricated unit consisting of the frame and the orifice plate and ready for assemblyis of particular advantage in this connection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Example of the invention are illustrated in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a slide closure in central longitudinal section comprising a detachable slide guide swung downward about a hinge.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the hinge of the slide guide.

FIG. 3 show a slide cosure in central longitudinal section comprising a detachable slide guide that may be held in the released position by means of chains or similar elements at a distance below the displaceable parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A metal slide housing 1 is arranged firmly on a metal jacket 2 of a container 3 for liquid melts, e.g., a steel ladle oran intermediate container (tundish) and, indeed, below an outlet'opening 40f a bottom refractory block 5 which is inserted into the refractory lining of container 3. A refractory outflowinsert 6, provided with a flow passage 7, is placed into bottom refractory block 5. A stationary upper refractory orifice plate 8 is inserted into slide housing 1 under bottom refractory block 5, and has an opening therethrough aligned with opening 4. A refractory slide plate 9, provided with a passage opening 10 and cooperating with orifice plate 8 is supported in a metal, displaceable supporting element 11 whose lower part forms a spout 12, that contains an inserted refractory outflow sleeve 13. On the lower side thereof, supporting element 11 is provided with guides 14. Guides 14 slide on corresponding ledges '15 ofa metal slide guide 16. Slide guide 16 is attached to slide housing 1 with first means of attachment 17, e.g., bolts. Supporting element 11, together with slide plate 9 and outflow sleeve 13 supported by the element, is shifted with an electric, hydraulic or similar I drive (which is not illustrated) and which engages an operating rod 18 connected in detachable manner to supporting element 11. I

In order to be able to replace the refractory parts subject to wear 6,8,9 and 13 readily and without particular difficulties after a pouring operation, slide guide 16 is provided further second means of attachment 19, that may be constructed in various ways. However, care must be taken to prevent the possibility of the two means of attachment impeding or hindering the opera tion of each other when slide guide 16 is fixed in the required operational position on slide housing 1.

I 3,856,189 i I In an embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, second means of attachment 19 consists ofa unilateral hinge 20 permitting outward swinging of slide guide 16 after the first means of attachment, e. g., bolts, are released, the hinge having sufficient tolerance to allow the movement of slide guide 16 in the direction of attachment that the hinge does not hinder the proper alignment of the first attachment means for fixing of slide guide 16 on slide housing 1. Hinge 20 is formed in such a manner that slide housing 1 possesses at least one hinge member 21 and slide guide 16 possesses at least one hinge member 23. In this connection, the diameter of openings 22 of hinge member 23 traversed by a hinge pin 24 is oversized in relation to the thickness of binge pin 24, or openings 22 of slide housing 1 are oversized to'a suitable extent, in order to obtain sufficient tolerance to allow for displacement of slide guide 16.

When container 3 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 assumes a lateral position, slide guide 16 can be swung away, as a door, from slide housing 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, slide guide 16 can be connected to slide housing 1 with flexible holding means 25, e.g., chains, steel cables and the like, which form the second attachment means 19. After the removal of the first means of attachment 17, e.g., bolts, these second means of attachment permit the lowering of slide guide 16 to a distance below slide housing 1, which permits the removal of refractory parts 6, 8, 9 and 13 subjected to wear. A more upright position of container 3'is preferred in this embodiment.

Second means of attachment 19 can also be provided by attaching a downwardprojecting guide rod 26 to slide housing 1, as shown in FIG. 4. The guide rod is provided with a lower stop 31 and traverses a guide bore 27 arranged in slide guide 16. After first means of attachment 17 are released, slide guide 16 can be lowered and swung laterally on the guide rod, so that refractory parts 6, 8, 9 and 13 subjected to wear become accessible for removal (FIG. 4). In this embodiment, container 3 may be situated both in the upright and also in the lateral positions.

In order to also make refractory outflow insert 6 readily accessible for the purpose of replacement after slide guide 16 is released and in order to avoid the time losses during replacement of a worn orifice plate, orifice plate 8 may be mounted into ametal frame 28, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Frame 28 is hinged to slide housing 1 by means of a hinge 29 and can be swung downward together with orifice plate 8, after a clamping bolt 30 or similar means of attachment is released.

Frame 28 together with possibly worn orifice plate 8 can then be removed. In a preferred embodiment, the

replacement is effected by mounting a prefabricated unit consisting of frame and orifice plate and, indeed, for example in such a manner that the orifice plate is morta red into the frame and the mortar is hardened in a drying furnace prior to mounting. The hitherto customary time losses and risk factors that occur when the mortar hardens and dries subsequent to mounting in the slide closure are thus eliminated.

In this embodiment it is of essential importance that bottom refractory block 5 be accurately mounted with regard to its vertical axis and the vertical position of coupling surfaces 32 in the bottom of the ladle that determine the sealing effect.

On the other hand, it is also possible to remove possibly worn orifice plate 8 from frame 28 and replace it with a new orifice plate. In order to facilitate this measure even further, hinge 29 may possibly be divisible or .within said slide housing for sliding movement against said orifice plate, and a slide guide removably attached to said slide housing for guiding the sliding movemet of said supporting element, the improvement comprising:

first attachment means for rigidly attaching said slide guide to said slide housing in the operational position thereof;

second attachment means for supporting said slide guide on said slide housing but to allow movement of said slide guide away from said slide plate when said first attachment means are released to remove said slide guide from said operational position, to

thus allow removal of worn refractory elements; and said first and second attachment means being positioned to prevent hinderance of the operation of said first attachment means by said second attachment means during the fixing of said slide guide in said operational position. 2. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises a' hinge connection connecting said slide guide to said slide housing,

' said slide guide being pivotable about said hinge connection away from said slide plate when said first attachment is released.

3. The improvement claimed in claim 2, wherein said hinge connection comprisesat least one hinge member on said slide housing and at least one hinge member on said slide guide, said hinge members each havingan opening there-through, and a hinge pin extending through said openings, the size of at least one of said openings being greater than the size of said hinge pin.

4. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises flexible holding means attached to said' slide guide and to said slide housing to allow said slide guide to be moved downwardly when said first attachment means are released.

5. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises a guide rod attached to said slide housing, said slide guide being slidably mounted on said guide rod.

6. The improvement claimed in claim 1, further comprising frame means fixedly attached to said orifice plate, said frame means being pivotally attached to said slide housing.

7. The improvement claimed in claim 6, wherein said frame means is pivotally attached to said slide housing by a hinge means for allowing swinging movement of said frame means and said orifice plate away from said vessel.

8. The improvement claimed in claim 7, wherein said hinge'means is removably attached to said slide hous- 9. The improvement claimed in claim 8, whereinsaid frame means and said orifice plate comprise a prefabricated unit. 

1. In a side closure for the pouring spout of metal melt containing vessels, such as steel pouring ladles, such slide closure including a slide housing on said vessel adjacent said spout thereof, a refractory orifice plate fixedly positioned against said vessel, a refractory slide plate having a refractory outflow sleeve attached thereto, a supporting element mounting said slide plate within said slide housing for sliding movement against said orifice plate, and a slide guide removably attached to said slide housing for guiding the sliding movemet of said supporting element, the improvement comprising: first attachment means for rigidly attaching said slide guide to said slide housing in the operational position thereof; second attachment means for supporting said slide guide on said slide housing but to allow movement of said slide guide away from said slide plate when said first attachment means are released to remove said slide guide from said operational position, to thus allow removal of worn refractory elements; and said first and second attachment means being positioned to prevent hinderance of the operation of said first attachment means by said second attachment means during the fixing of said slide guide in said operational position.
 2. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises a hinge connection connecting said slide guide to said slide housing, said slide guide being pivotable about said hinge connection away from said slide plate when said first attachment is released.
 3. The improvement claimed in claim 2, wherein said hinge connection comprises at least one hinge member on said slide housing and at least onE hinge member on said slide guide, said hinge members each having an opening there-through, and a hinge pin extending through said openings, the size of at least one of said openings being greater than the size of said hinge pin.
 4. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises flexible holding means attached to said slide guide and to said slide housing to allow said slide guide to be moved downwardly when said first attachment means are released.
 5. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said second attachment means comprises a guide rod attached to said slide housing, said slide guide being slidably mounted on said guide rod.
 6. The improvement claimed in claim 1, further comprising frame means fixedly attached to said orifice plate, said frame means being pivotally attached to said slide housing.
 7. The improvement claimed in claim 6, wherein said frame means is pivotally attached to said slide housing by a hinge means for allowing swinging movement of said frame means and said orifice plate away from said vessel.
 8. The improvement claimed in claim 7, wherein said hinge means is removably attached to said slide housing.
 9. The improvement claimed in claim 8, wherein said frame means and said orifice plate comprise a prefabricated unit. 